No bleg - gun pron!

The new pistol is a Walther P38, as the denizens of #GBC already know.

I started taking pictures tonight and was trying to field strip it to double check the inside of the slide for import marks.

I need to read manuals more carefully before doing these things. (I have since re-read the appropriate portions of the user manual, which say NOTHING about putting finicky bits back in beyond seeing an "artisan smith".)

I have removed the barrel catch lever and can't get it back in place. I tried tapping with a nylon-tipped 'smithing hammer and got nowhere.

The barrel and slide are still captive (and won't come off).

If there's a P38 expert who can give me some pointers by comment, email, or phone, I'd be eternally grateful. And would determine suitable recompense.

Pics once I figure out how to get this thing together and apart.

UPDATE: DISREGARD ABOVE. I FIXED IT. No wonder we kicked the German's butts, if they were making guns this complicated.

Update 2: Pictures, you leeches. As always, click/embiggen.




(First few shots from my new lightbox, using the pocket camera. I took a few with the SLR as well, but haven't dug out the cable yet. Tomorrow.)

1942 Walther-manufactured (ac42), numbers on slide, barrel, and frame match. Two magazines, un-numbered. Period-correct but un-numbered holster. I did find the import mark - Century Arms - but it doesn't appear to be a Russian capture. I'll be running it by the folks at the P38 Forum to see if they have any more info on it.

Range trip, new-ish shooter

I reconnected with an old acquaintance earlier this week. We've known each other online going back to 2004 or 2005 thanks to LiveJournal, lived within 45 minutes the vast majority of that time, but had only first met (briefly) in 2008. Go figure. She dropped off the planet shortly thereafter, then last week we discovered we had several friends and acquaintances in common.

We went out for dinner and a drink Tuesday night, traded some EMS/fire war stories (amidst odd glances from adjacent tables - something about gales of laughter following stories that began with, "So there we were, no shit..." and usually included gore of some kind.) At some point she mentioned needing to shoot a pig head for some research she's doing (forensic anthropology), and we made quick plans to go to the range Wednesday.

Wednesday fell through for various reasons, so we went yesterday instead.

Fortunately, we had the range to ourself, as she started by partially degloving the pig head in order to document the existing wound (from slaughter).

I checked zero on a couple rifles, she chose to use the MkII .22, and we set the pig up at 50 yards. After she sent a few magazines downrange, we shot the pig. One shot, fifty yards, 36gr .22HP (Federal bulk pack, 1260fps?), and she nailed it.

For those that say .22 has no power, check out these two frames from the video (click to embiggen).

A few frames prior to impact:

The moment of impact:

Once that was done, we had some fun with other hardware...

MkII:

AR:

Model 67:

I didn't grab pictures of anything else, but suffice to say she got to try several new pieces.

Some will complain about the stance... all I can say is this: listen to your shooter. My friend has had some problems with (and surgeries to correct) her back. A standard Weaver or isosceles stance hurts her back to hold. She tried this stance (I call it a bullseye stance, although that's probably not the right term) and found that it was the most comfortable. I'm well aware that it's not a solid defensive shooting position, but as we all know, new shooters should be comfortable first and foremost.

(Yes, we started with the .22s.)

All in all, a very good day.

At long last...

I teased y'all a few times with this one, and believe me, the wait was harder for me than you.

I had seen this go through the classifieds on the S&W Forum for a few weeks with a few price drops and no nibbles. I sent the seller a trade offer which he declined, but he also asked if I was really interested and wanted to work something out. I decided to take him up on the offer and made two payments on the gun. He shipped it earlier this week, and my FFL emailed me to let me know it had arrived yesterday.

I stopped out after work, dropped the transfer fee on the table, filled out the 4473, and brought this beautiful piece of history home:

That's a 1968-vintage Remington 1100. The seller's father bought it new, fired a few hundred rounds, then cleaned it and put it away - and it looks it. There are a few tiny marks on the barrel ring (which hides under the fore end), but other than that it looks like it's new out of the box. The wood has beautiful figure for a field-grade gun, and the balance and trigger are just magic.

It's a 2-3/4" chamber, so no heavy loads, but it will be wonderful for clays and birds. The barrel is 26" plain (no rib), single bead, with a fixed Improved Cylinder choke (according to seller; I couldn't find a marking). As it sits the gun is not a rarity or collectible (Remington still makes 1100s and has since the early 60s; there are millions in circulation), so I will probably send the barrel to Briley at some point for a set of interchangeable chokes.

The other thing that was in the box with the gun - and the seller hadn't mentioned - was this:

A slightly yellowed original instruction manual.

With price list.

(Receiver Assembly, (includes Action Spring Tube, Barrel Lock, Interceptor Latch Spring, Interceptor Latch Stud, Magazine Tube Assembly, Receiver)...$32.90)

I can't wait to get this honey to the range.

Tactical Tupperware

I've had various guns come and go through my collection. Rifles, shotguns, pistols ... but none that would generally be called "tactical". Even an AR isn't really tactical when it's a 20" A2. No Kydex holsters. No rails. No tac-lights. Only one with night sights (that really need new tubes).

It's not a particular aversion to the breed, I simply hadn't had the right combination of circumstances cross my path yet.

Hadn't.

Gander Mountain had a sale running through yesterday on Smith & Wesson M&P9s and M&P40s. I called the closest store to see if they had any in stock. Only the .40s. I think .40 is a perfectly acceptable cartridge, but 9mm is generally cheaper to shoot, and MrsZ prefers the recoil of 9mm to .40.

I called the next nearest store, and they did have some available. In fact, the person I spoke to (Aaron) said something like, "Yep, we have several!" He confirmed that they did NOT have the external safety, they came with two magazines, etc. I jumped in the truck and headed out for the 80-mile-one-way drive.

I got to the store and found the gun counter (under the gigantic sign that says FIREARMS), and quickly found the M&Ps. .40 ... .45 ... 9mm with a laser ... .40 ... .40 ... 9mm with a laser... Hmm. One of the clerks asked if he could help me, and I asked if they had any M&P9s without the laser, as advertised. He didn't think so, but he'd check. I told him I'd spoken to Aaron earlier and was told they did have them. He grabbed Aaron, who went in back to check inventory. He came back a few minutes later and apologized for making a mistake, but the only M&P9s in stock were the ones with the LaserLyte rear sight laser.

I was not real pleased, to say the least, and asked if they would price match, since the inventory mistake was his. (The non-lasered sale price was $499, the LaserLyte model was stickered at $629.) He bumped me to a mid-level manager who quickly called a higher-up manager, and after a quiet back-and-forth they agreed to price-match the ad since I had driven up on their mistake.

Sold!

So I now have a pistol with both a rail and a laser. The laser warning sticker has already been peeled off, and the switch is proving finicky - I will probably remove the rear sight laser in favor of some tritium night sights, and consider a light/laser combo for the rail. (I was impressed by the Viridian combo at the show.)

Range report one of these days ... if it ever stops raining.



Major kudos to Gander Mountain for doing right by me.

Day 1, wrap up

Good grief, what a day. I ended up bailing on the Happy Hour at Tilted Kilt sponsored by Crimson Trace far earlier than I might have - I was exhausted, the restaurant was loud, and I'd had my fill of people. Sometimes being a bit introverted can be unpleasant, but I've generally learned to heed the little voice on my shoulder that says, "Hey, enough. Time to bail."

So, the day, in rough order of events:
MrsZ and I caught up with Newbius and his wife for breakfast in the hotel. MrsZ stayed at the hotel for the day, I carpooled in to the show with Newbius and his wife. 13 miles - 1:40 from hotel door to parked. Pittsburgh has NO idea how to handle this kind of event. Traffic was a mess, parking was a disaster, and I heard lots of mutters around the show about commute times etc. It was bad enough that I'm debating whether or not I really want to go back to the show tomorrow. (I will go again Sunday, but we may just be lazy tourists tomorrow.)

We walked the four blocks from our parking lot to the convention center, found the media room, got our credentials, and headed for the show floor. I wandered on my own for the better part of the day, with occasional stops back in the media room to see who had accumulated, or just to sit down and have a cup of coffee for a moment.

In no particular order, the things that caught my attention, for good or bad:
The Smith & Wesson M&P 22. If you carry an M&P as a duty or personal weapon, this should be a no-brainer. Size and weight are similar to a standard center-fire M&P, manual of arms is identical. With an MSRP of $419, expect to see these on the street for $350-375ish. Reliability, of course, remains to be seen, but given S&W's reputation for standing behind their products, I have high hopes for this one.




The Remington Centennial 1911R1. I like Remington products, generally speaking. I swear by their 870 series of shotguns, and clay- and wing-shooters alike will sing the praises of the 11xx series autoloaders. This just seems ... misguided. It's a government-size 1911A1, with three-dot sights, a lowered/flared ejection port, stainless barrel, flat MSH, GI beavertail, etc. The grips are coarse-checkered wood of some kind, and the checkering is aggressive enough that simply holding the gun was unpleasant. Shooting it with anything resembling a full-house load would be painful. There's a touch of engraved scrollwork on the slide that strikes me as an afterthought more than anything else. With an MSRP of $1250, I expected more from Big Green.




On the flip side of that coin, however, Remington may have cracked one out of the park with the new VersaMax autoloader. A series of gas ports self-adjusts the amount of gas vented or cycled to the action, meaning it (at least in theory) can go from light 2-3/4" trap loads to high-brass field loads or 3-1/2" waterfowl loads with no adjustments to the gas system. Major-plus features in my book are the large button to disengage the safety (a treat for waterfowlers wearing gloves in the blind - no need to fumble that tiny button!), a vent-rib with checkered top to reduce glare, and twin beads to help alignment. Shouldering feels much like the 870; I had to make one tiny adjustment the first time I brought the gun up and then it was like it was made for me.






Kimber has just released their new "Solo Carry" compact 9mm. Initial impression: if you're used to the 1911 manual of arms, or don't like the idea of a gun with no manual safety, this may be an ideal alternative to the Kahr PM9/Ruger LC9, etc. Fit and finish is, as expected, excellent, and the gun points well. If anything, I think the grip is a bit too narrow, but that's easy enough to beef up with some new panels. Some stippling or checkering on the fore- and back-straps would go a long way towards grip as well.




Chiappa Firearms has a few real beauties out this year. The Rhino remains an ugly duckling, but I won't denigrate it for ugly. They have a lever-action pistol out, a la the Rossi "Ranch Hand" series; their show model was chambered in .44-40. Perhaps of more interest to many, however, are the new "Plinkerton" series of single-action revolvers. All chambered in .22LR, they are available in several finishes and barrel lengths, and, depending on price, could be wonderful "fun" guns - potentially giving the Single Six a good run for its money.






Tactical Solutions had a nice setup, with their products mounted on several Browning Buckmark lowers and Ruger MkIII lowers. Thanks to Ruger serializing the barrel on the MkIII series, a TS upper means going through an FFL; the Browning barrels were available at the show. I asked one of their booth guys for advice on how best to disassemble and reassemble a MkIII; he provided me with a few tips that I'll explore when I get home.






Springfield Armory had an extensive display of XD, XDm, M1A, and 1911 pistols. I poked at their recently-released "Range Officer" model and was not wildly impressed. For the price - they're running $7-800 on GunBroker right now - you should be able to get into a Ruger SR1911, which I think will be a far better value.




Ithaca Gun had a display of their shotguns and 1911s. The shotguns look halfway decent but are, of course, not as buttery-smooth as a gun that's been used for fifty years. The 1911 I tried had a trigger pull in excess of 10 pounds (by my rough guestimation), which is FAR too heavy for ANY single-action sear. Also, I'm biased, and seeing "Ithaca Gun Co, Upper Sandusky OH" just rubs me wrong.

Other things of interest... Silver Stag knives are pretty, but their managing partner is rude. I'm not a knife guy, I'm a gun guy, and I don't know all the gun makers out there. No way I'm going to know all the knife folks out there! Don't be insulted if someone doesn't know your name, treat them as a potential new customer!

I *did* buy a set of ceramic kitchen knives from the folks at Stone River; show pricing ($75) and some fondling convinced me to take a chance on them.

I also picked up an ESEE Izula (in pink!) and Fire Kit from the folks at EMGear. Yes, pink. The other options were black, tan, and olive green. If I dropped one of those in the yard, I'd find it when the lawnmower did. At least I have a small chance of finding a pink knife!

My own mistake ate several of the pictures I took today - so there are some things missing I wanted to show y'all. I'll try to re-take the important stuff before I come home!

Gunnie prom tomorrow, looking forward to seeing y'all some more!

The last gun of 2010

Friday, Dec 31, 2010. I drove up to $LakeShoreCity in the early afternoon in order to look at and probably purchase a Remington 572. (And perhaps a shotgun as well, more on that later.)

I had originally told the seller that I would try to make it up Thursday - but that didn't pan out due to my wanting a bit of sleep. I emailed him Thursday evening and apologized and told him I'd be up Friday if it was convenient for him. He agreed, gave me his phone number, and suggested I call before leaving to get directions and to give him a rough time frame.

I did so, and headed out... TomTom and I had a bit of a disagreement on how best to get there; the highlight of that was a "Go straight on" direction ... past a "DEAD END" sign. I instead chose to take the turn on to the "SEASONAL ROAD NO MAINTENANCE DEC 1 - APR 1" road. It was, indeed, unmaintained, but passable. Fifteen minutes and several miles of 4wd later, I was back on normal roads and heading the right direction.

The gentleman selling the 572 had listed several guns, and on the way up I had resolved that if he still had one of them (a VERY nice Ithaca Model 37 16ga) I would pick up that one as well.

I arrived right when I'd estimated, shook hands, and was introduced to the seller's "good friend who I haven't seen in five or six years". I looked over the 572, which showed a bit of its age and needed a thorough scrubbing, but was otherwise in good shape. The seller let me try a couple rounds through it just to make sure it fed properly and would go bang.

I handed over the money, and said, "By the way, you also had an Ithaca 16ga listed... any chance you still have that?"

He smiled and said, "Yep. I HAD it listed. JimBob here (indicating the friend) just cleaned me out of most everything I had. I only saved the .22 because you asked about it, figured you'd get first dibs on that one."

The friend is apparently giving that Ithaca to his grandson for a 14th birthday present. I hope the young man knows what a fine shotgun he is getting and treats it accordingly; cynicism and memory of myself at 14 suggests that by the time this young man is old enough to vote the Ithaca will have been neglected and abused.

I also have a bit of a sour taste on an "old friend" who's been off the radar until there are good prices on some very nice guns... but such is the life of being a day late, I suppose.

I brought the 572 home, figured out how to disassemble it, cleaned it thoroughly, and have put just a couple rounds through to double-check function. The barrel - which is essentially free-floating - has a tiny wobble to it, and I'm debating how best to address that. A "shim" of some sort is the best idea I have, but I'm not sure what material would work best. I'm guessing it needs to be only a few thousandths of an inch thick...

In any case, on with the pictures!

The scope came with the rifle; it's a Weaver Marksman fixed 4x scope with absolutely crystal clear glass.



The rifle is pre-1968, as it has no serial number. The only evidence of age is the date code stamped in the barrel. Using this page, I figured the barrel to have been manufactured in October 1959. The rifle is now entered in my C&R book...



One of the wonderful things about the 572 is its ability to feed essentially ANY .22 round (non-magnum). Short, long, long rifle, shotshells - all work fine. A .22 CB Short in this - often known as a "gallery round" is a wonderful thing. If you're teaching a youngster to shoot and they're flinching from the snap of a HV .22LR, drop a few rounds of .22 short in this and have at it! They're so quiet that you can often hear the firing pin drop; they're really no louder than an air gun. I expect I'll be stocking up on shorts soon...

Gun Porn

Weer'd asked for pictures of the Kahr. Who am I to deny my adoring fans?












The velvety stuff on the grip is a Brooks Tactical AGRIP. Super-thin (you can read the Kahr logo through it), grippy without being tacky, and quite comfortable. It was on the gun when I got it, and I don't intend to remove it.

642 and 1911 for size comparison. The PM9 is the same height as the 642, about an inch shorter, and 3/8" thinner. Weight is comparable. You could carry the 642 AND the PM9 and still not be up to the weight of a steel 1911A1.

Will the PM9 replace the 642 for carry? Not 100% of the time, but there will certainly be times it's more appropriate!

Acquisition, disposition

I finally put my C&R license to use. I've been sitting on it for better than six months, and keeping half an eye on classifieds and sales from the usual sources. I didn't want my first purchase as an FFL(03) to be something generic - a Mosin-Nagant or an SKS. It had to be something with style. Additionally, all those pretty 03-eligible handguns? No go in New York. They have to go through an FFL(01).

Last week, a fellow posted an Ithaca Model 37 on the S&W Forum classifieds. Good condition, great price. I sent him a message and snagged it immediately, beating another poster by a whopping two minutes. :-D The serial is 667xxx, dating it to 1957, and comfortably inside the window for a C&R (all guns are automatically considered eligible fifty years from the date of manufacture).

It arrived yesterday afternoon, and was even more than I'd hoped for. The trigger is VERY heavy, but I can run it down to Diamond Gunsmithing for some attention to that. The finish isn't perfect, but it's by no means in bad shape. Looks like once upon a time it may have gotten sprinkled on and not dried off promptly - just a bit of off-color freckling on the receiver. The front bead has been replaced with a fiber optic dot; that will be one of the first things I expect I'll have changed. Either a gold or ivory bead is much more period-appropriate, and pleasing to my own sense of propriety.

I'm definitely looking forward to getting this out on the trap range, and quite possibly out for some upland and small game.




That's the acquisition. Now for the disposition.

I've decided to move along my S&W 242Ti. Yes, I just got it a couple months ago. It's a fine gun, but it's not the right one for me. I've shot it a fair bit, and have found that some combination of the grips and my hand isn't "right". I feel like I'm struggling to get a sight picture, and that's not appropriate for a CCW. So, down the road it goes.

Seven-shot AirLite/Titanium L-frame hammerless, .38+P rated, with a Lobo Gun Leather IWB holster (1.25" and 1.5" loops), 7-shot dump pouch, and Master trigger lock.

It's been carried (by me and others before) and has a bit of character. There is a small ding on the bottom edge of the barrel shroud, picture below. The recoil shield has a wear line from the lock stud, as usual for alloy-frame guns. The finish is a little shiny on a few high points.

Extractor is straight and true. Cylinder is intact. No flame cutting that I can find. Forcing cone is intact, as is the frame. Screws are un-buggered. I had the sideplate off once for a more thorough cleaning immediately after purchase, internals all look good.

$800 shipped/insured FFL-FFL, three-day non-firing inspection, otherwise as-is.

Trades +/- cash will be considered; of particular interest are flat-top AR carbine uppers, mid-grade 1911s, S&W/Ruger/Colt revolvers, or anything from Ithaca Gun.

Please email me with questions/offers, zercool at gmail.

Lobo Gun Leather

Alright, I sang the praises of the holster, the holster maker, and his customer service, and today I finally got out to take a few pictures. (Forgive the slight washout; it was brighter out than I realized!) S&W 242Ti in a Lobo Gun Leather IWB holster, with 7-shot dump pouch.



















The last picture is the 642 in the JMG Holster I got. It's not a bad holster. It holds the gun securely and wears well. It is, however, not as comfortable as the Lobo Gun Leather in the first several pictures.

And the price of that Lobo work? Almost impossible to beat. $80 for the holster, dump pouch, and an extra set of belt loops.

Weighty matters

One of the prime issues with concealed carry is striking the fine balance between "bring enough gun" and "so much gun I don't bring it". In other words, enough power to be a realistic defensive firearm, but light enough that you will carry it always.

"Carry your gun - it's a lighter burden than regret."

Without descending into caliber wars, I choose not to carry anything smaller than a .38 at this point. For a while it was a .380, but the Bersa got to be uncomfortable (godawful pointy beavertail on that thing) and has been sent on down the road, to be replaced by a S&W 642 in .38Spl.

Last night in conversation with Weer'dBeard I mentioned carrying the new 4053. He grumbled about it being an overly heavy brick. This from a guy who carries a Commander-size 1911 - admittedly in Scandium, but still a serious gun. (There, ya happy, weer'd?)

I got to thinking about just what we choose to carry around on a daily basis, so tossed all my possible carry guns on a scale with a full load of ammo. The results were interesting!

My default carry piece, a S&W 642 .38Spl, with five rounds of Federal Hydrashock 129gr +P: 1lb 0.9oz




The new carry piece (when a holster arrives), a S&W 242 .38Spl, with seven rounds of WWB 125gr +P: 1lb 6.2oz




My first carry (not often!), a steel-frame Government 1911 .45ACP, with 7+1 of WWB 230gr JHP: 2lb 13.6oz




What's on my belt right now, a S&W 4053 .40S&W, with 8+1 of WWB 180gr JHP: 2lb 2.5oz




And while I could carry this one, it's unlikely I often will. A S&W 5946 9mm, with 15+1 of WWB 115gr JHP: 2lb 12.1oz




Now, anything you choose to carry, you should be carrying a reload for it. Not because you expect to need those shots, but (A) you might, and (B) malfunctions happen. Magazines fail at the worst possible moment (and in the middle of an IDPA stage is NOT the worst possible moment). Slap-rack-bang doesn't work, you better be ready to drop mag and slam home a fresh one.

So what's got the lightest reload?

Well, it should be obvious: six rounds of .38Spl on a speed strip. 2.9oz.


For a bit more than double the weight, you can carry eight more rounds of .40, at 7.5oz, or seven rounds of .45 for 7.6oz.




And at the top end, tipping the scale to 8.9oz, is 15 rounds of 9mm:


So how much are you really going to be carrying around? Lighter than regret, but some of these are heavy burdens:

642 with a reload (+1): 1lb 3.8oz
242 with a reload (-1): 1lb 9.1oz
4053 with a reload: 2lb 10.0oz
5946 with a reload: 3lb 5.0oz
1911 with a reload: 3lb 5.2oz

Doesn't sound like a lot, does it? Think about it hanging off your hip for 10-14 hours a day. There's a reason a lot of police officers have long-term back problems, and it's not just spending too much time in a patrol car.

So how much gun is enough gun? That's for you to decide on your own. You'll learn to dress around the gun you carry, though. Here are the four calibers in question:

9mm, .38Spl, .40S&W, .45ACP

Each of those is a perfectly acceptable choice as a defensive round. I would trust my life to any of them. Above all, shot placement matters though - so hie thee to a range and throw some lead!



Off topic, for you haters:






Yes. That is what you think it is. An Aimpoint on a HiPoint.

Edit: In his link love, Jay mentions including holster weight in the overall weight. He makes a good point. There are two reasons I didn't.

First and foremost: I've only got proper holsters for the 1911 and the 642. Leather is on the way for the other three, but t'ain't heah yet. It pains me to admit it, but the 4053 is riding in a cheap-ass Uncle Mike's IWB sleeve* right now.

Second: carry method is an intensely personal choice, and what kind of holster you wear will determine weight. E.g., a simple leather "yaqui slide" arrangement, for nearly any gun, will only weigh an ounce or two. A leather retention high-ride OWB holster for a 1911 could weigh north of a half-pound. Kydex or other plastic holsters are yet another variation.

Magazine pouches tend to be on the light side, but truth be told, I just drop a spare magazine or a speed strip in a front pocket. Your gun might be well-concealed, but nothing screams "I'm carrying!" like a magazine or two sticking up from your belt.

* - people rip on the generic Uncle Mike's stuff as worthless. I disagree. It's *inexpensive*, but their $10 IWB sleeves work just fine. I won't call them classy, but they are functional. Not everyone can afford a purty leather rig... which I think may be the topic of tonight's blog post.